Compare and contrast the characters of Brutus and Antony in Julius Caesar.

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Brutus and Mark Antony are both close friends of Caesar. However, they express their friendship in radically different ways. Although he loves Caesar dearly, Brutus loves Rome more, and so he participates in his friend's assassination. Mark Antony doesn't get involved in the murder conspiracy, but nor does he make a move against the conspirators until the time is right. This shows astute political acumen on his part, a characteristic not shared by Brutus, as subsequent events prove.

Although Antony is genuinely grief-stricken over the loss of his good friend, he understands the ruthless, cutthroat nature of Roman political life. As such, he doesn't get emotional; he gets even, biding his time before striking back against Caesar's assassins. Brutus, on the other hand, is too noble, too honorable to be successful for very long in the cut and thrust of politics. He lacks the capacity to dissimulate, the ability to conceal one's true feelings. For a Roman politician, that's a serious...